What is a sprint?

A sprint is a short, time-boxed period when a scrum team works to complete a set amount of work. Sprints are at the very heart of scrum and agile methodologies, and getting sprints right will help your team push forward with confidence.

To quote Atlassian:”Sprints make projects more manageable, allow teams to ship high-quality work faster and more frequently, and gives them more flexibility to adapt to change.”

Why should I do it?

Breaking your 12-month plan for your business into 90-day sprints is a great way to develop a laser-like trajectory for achievable goals. Whilst it’s great to have an overview for the year, 12 months is too long.

It lacks focus. 90 days provide more motivation.

How does it work?

STEP 1: PICK THREE THINGS TO FOCUS ON

Start by choosing a maximum of three “focus areas” for the coming quarter. Of course, you’ll still have to take care of your day-to-day work, too, but these focus areas should rise above that–they’re where you think your time, talent, attention, and money are best spent on longer-term objectives during the coming quarter.

Your day-to-day tasks will keep you afloat, while your focus areas will propel you ahead.

STEP 2: DECIDE HOW YOU’LL JUDGE YOUR PROGRESS

Now that you’ve picked your three focus areas for the quarter, it’s time to clarify your criteria of success for each one. This can be tricky. First, be ruthlessly realistic about what’s possible within just three months, and second, look for concrete signs of progress. It’s important to pin down criteria that are as objectively and quantitatively measurable as possible.

STEP 3: IDENTIFY WHICH STEPS TO TAKE (AND WHO’S GOING TO TAKE THEM)

Now that you’ve identified your top three focus areas and your criteria for achieving them, now it’s time to layout how to get you there. In order to keep your plan to one page, you’ll likely have to break each focus area down into five to seven action steps and milestones.

Your plan needs to be detailed enough to guide your actions but not so detailed that you feel overwhelmed or lose yourself in the minutiae.

Benefits of doing a sprint

• Results driven
• Intensive fix and repair
• Focused systems with activities and tasks to deliver results
• For 90 days, consistent habits, focus, analysis, and measurement

If you’re ready to start your 90-day sprint, what should you do next? 

Scope the work. Set goals and dive in.

To summarize, a sprint is an intensive period of time in which you focus on accomplishing specific tasks. A 90-day sprint can help your company to shift its business and achieve goals that were previously set aside. If you’ve found this article helpful or would like more information about how we work with companies for success, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re happy to offer our expertise and get you on track with your leads, sales, and revenue.